Political reporter BELINDA STRAHORN shares tidbits from the race to rule the territory…

CANDIDATES contesting October’s election are an interesting bunch: there’s a car enthusiast, a jazz singer (or two), an ex-solicitor, an economist, a hairdresser (or two), an academic and even an author. 

Greens’ candidate for Ginninderra Jo Clay has written a book called the “Carbon Diet”. 

Jo admits she is “seriously freaked out about climate change” and conducted a two-year “low-carbon diet”, subsequently reducing her family’s carbon footprint by 77 per cent. Her book details how she did it, through “little” things such as bike riding, eating seasonal food and cutting down on plastic.

DUMPED Canberra Liberals’ candidate Vijay Dubey has re-entered the election race – some two months out from the ACT election – as a candidate for the Belco Party. Dubey joins Angela Lount, Chic Henry, Alan Tutt and party convenor Bill Stefaniak as candidates for the seat of Ginninderra. Dubey, a small-business owner who was dumped from Kurrajong in mid-July has wasted no time in announcing the party will push for the return of cracker night if elected in October. 

Dubey says the public will be allowed to set off fireworks for three nights over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, but stressed the sale of crackers would be strictly regulated and only decorative fireworks allowed.

DID you receive a robocall from Melbourne based organisation Binary Australia? Chief Minister Andrew Barr did and took to Twitter to condemn the automated phone survey. “Can confirm a burst of robo push-polling in Canberra tonight – authorised by a deeply conservative Melbourne-based group called Binary Australia. I received their robo-call peddling offensive nonsense. Nasty stuff. Fortunately our city is inclusive and welcoming of LGBTIQ people,” Barr posted. The robocall followed Bills passed in the Legislative Assembly enabling 16-year-olds to apply directly to Access Canberra to change the gender listed on their birth certificate. 

THE Canberra Liberals have promised $15 million for school-maintenance projects over the next four years, if they form government. Shadow education minister Elizabeth Lee said most of Canberra high schools and nearly three quarters of Canberra primary schools were built more than three decades ago and in need of attention. 

And the Libs will probe the lead-contamination saga at Yarralumla Primary School saying they’ll establish an “urgent inquiry” into the ongoing ordeal in a Liberal government’s first few weeks in office.

THE Greens are asking Canberrans to identify gaps in the city’s cycling network. The party is keen to shift gears and start a “cycling revolution” connecting every suburb in Canberra to a well-lit, off-road walking and cycling network. By boosting the walking and cycling budget for the next four years, if elected, the Greens can link up the cycling network, and give all Canberrans the opportunity to travel the way they want to. 

LASTLY, candidate forums are set to follow new formats thanks to covid. Sanitise, skip the handshake and a limited audience. Not the usual face-offs we are used to. A digital debate will be the Inner South Community Council’s “back up plan” if its Kurrajong candidates’ forum earmarked for September 20 at the Harmonie German Club cannot go ahead. ISCCC chair Marea Fatseas is keeping a close eye on covid restrictions come September and has already started stockpiling hand sanitiser.